Sustainability Transformation of Universities - achieving Impact with small Steps

As research institutions, universities themselves are subject to necessary changes, when it comes to transformation processes towards greater sustainability. Even though the necessary measures are known, their implementation is (un-) expectedly difficult and complex. In the “BreGoS - Bremen Goes Sustainable” project, all public universities in the federal state of Bremen cooperate to jointly enhance this transformation. The university campuses themselves are becoming objects of study. The Neustadtswall campus of Bremen University of Applied Sciences e.g. is being analysed based on selected sustainability assessment criteria - mobility, biodiversity and quality of stay - and serves as a place for experiments. Model projects are being initiated and implemented together with students, and their effectiveness is being measured and evaluated using the certification criteria of DGNB (German Sustainable Building Council). The evaluation of the “Alte Neustadt” bike model district, completed in 2019, shows that facilities such as air pumps, workshops and bicycle parking spaces significantly increase sustainability on campus. Sustainability evaluations in the areas of biodiversity and quality of stay show the quantifiable effects of completed and intended university development projects, as well as student projects that were developed and implemented as part of BreGoS. The results confirm that the implementation of sustainability measures, no matter how small, leads to noticeable and measurable improvements within the campus. In addition, their inherent multiplier effect allows them to be transferred to larger scales, e.g. to neighbouring buildings or the surrounding neighbourhood.